Landing skid for amphibian aircraft



July 15", 1924. 1,501,608

R. P. LEWIS LANDING SKID FOR AIPHIBIAN AIRCRAFT Filed Jan. 30, 1922InvE-r'lnr erf Plea/s /xfzz Patented July 15, 1924.

UNITED STAT RBERT P. LEWIS, OF DAYTON, OH, ASSIGNOB T' BAYTN-WRGHTCOMPANY, 0F DAYTON, OHI, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

LANDING SK'ID FOR AMPHIBN EMT.

Application filed January S0, 1922.

T 0 a?? whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, ROBERT P. LEWIS. a

A citizen of the 1United States of America,

residing at Dayton, county of Montgomery,

5 and State of Ghio, have invented cert-aiu new and useful improvementsin Landing Skids for Amphibian Aircraft (Docket #48), of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to landing gear for water aircraft which is alsoadapted for landing on a solid surface such as the deck of a ship, andhas especial reference to the landing skid which is attached to the rearend of the float.

Heretofore objections have arisen in pivoting the landin skid on therear end of the float since usual y either the upper part of the skidorthe shock absorber extends within the contour or the float. Thisprevents the rear end oi the float from being used as an air chambersince the shell of the float must be pierced, and hence the displacementof the float is reduced.

An object of this invention is to provide a tail skid which does notnecessitate the piercing of the lioat shell and therefore permits theentire float to be used as an air chamber.

Another object is to provide such a tail skid having its resultantupward pressure upon landing substantially on the center line of thefloat.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description. reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the present inventionis clearly sho-wn.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the rear end of a oat embodying myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the tail skids in their normal position.

Similar reference characters refer to similar arts throughout thedrawing.

umeral 10 indicates the wooden oat, which may be built up in variousways and the use of my invention is not dependent u on the particularconstruction of the float.

erein I have shown the float frame constructed with the chine stringers11 and the central deck Stringer 12 having their ends suitably fixed atthe rear tip of the oat.

The rear end of the oat is strengthened by skids as shown at 36.

Serial No. 582,676.

the reinforcing brace 13 which is mortised to the central deck Stringer12 and in effect forms a continuation thereof, as clearly illustrated.

A fitting 15 is bolted to the rear tip of the float by means of bolts16. Fitting 15 is provided with al bracket 17 which supports the pivotpin 18 for the two landing skids 19 and 20. The upper arms 21 and 22 ofthe landing skids are bent outward from the float 10 so that they have apath of movement alongside the sides of the float. Preferably the ioatis constructed with plane vert-ical sides at the rear, in which case thearms 2l and 22 have a path of movement parallel to the float sides.

The shock absorber cord 25 extends across the lioat and is attached tothe ends of arms 21 and 22 preferably by means of small sheaves 2G whichpermit the various strands of cord 25 to be of substantially equaltension. A bearing plate or tting 30 is provided where the shockabsorber cords 25 bear against the float. l have shown this fitting 3Gset into the shell of the float but of course, if desired. this fittingmay ,be attached to the float without countersinking. Two spruce blocks14 are provided to strengthen the support for the fitting 30, as clearlyillustrated. A strap 31 is screwed to fitting 30 to prevent possibledisarrangement of the strands of cord 25. Two wooden blocks 35 arebolted to the sides of the ioat to serve as stops for the normalposition of' arms 21 and 22. Fig. 1 shows in dotted lines the positionoi the skid when deflected its maximum' amount. A Wire cable 36 attachedto the two arms 21 and 22 and passing over the fitting 30 serves as astop for the deflected position of the lt is clear that m inventionpermits a very light form of skid construction and the entire hulk ofthe oat may be utilized as an air chamber since no parts of the skid orshock absorber proiect within the contour of the hulk. Also since allparts are exterior to the iloat they are more accessible for inspectionand repairs. By having the two skids 19 and 20 spaced equally from lthecenter line. of the doet the resultant upward pressure on the skids willfall on the center line of the doet.

vA mod'ication of this invention comprises a single skid pivoted on thecenter line of the fioat but branched to have two upper arms tocorrespond to the arms 2l and 22. Such a skid would in ei'ectbe obtainedsimply by moving skids 19 and 2O immediately adjacent one another, ofcourse changing the design slightly to permit this.

TWhile the form of mechanism herein shown and described, constitutes apreferred form of embodiment of the present invention, it is to beunderstood that other forms might. be adopted, all coming Within thescope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is as follows:

1. In an amphibian seaplane, in combination, a float having a Wedgeshape rear end, a fitting attached thereto substantially at its rearmosttip, a tail skid pivoted to said fitting, and yieldable means connectingthe upper part of the skid to the float.

2. In an amphibian aircraft, in combination, a float having a Wedgeshape rear end, a fitting attached thereto substantially at its rearmosttip, a tail skid pivoted to said fitting and having a path of movementalong the side of said float, and yieldable means onnecting the upperpart of the skid to the oat.

3. In an amphibian aircraft, in combination, a float having a Wedgeshape rear end, a fitting attached thereto substantially at its rearmosttip, a tail skid pivoted to the fitting and having its upper part odsetso that its path of movement is at the side of said float, and shockabsorbing means extending between the upper part of the skid and thefloat for holding the skid in its normal position.

4. In a seaplane, in combination, a float, an independently rotatablelanding skid pivoted on each side of the float, and common meanssupported on the float for holding said skids in their normal position.

5. In a seaplane, in combination, a fioat having a fitting on its lowerrear end, a landing skid pivoted on said fitting and having its path ofmovement entirely without the contour of said float, and shock absorbingmeans connecting the upper arm of said skid to said fioat.

6. In a seaplane, in combination, a float having a Wedge shape rea-rend, a fitting attached thereto substantially at its rearmost tip, alanding skid pivoted on each side of said fitting and having their pathsof movement entirely Without the contour of said float, and yieldablemeans connecting the upper arms of said skids to said float.

7. In a seaplane, in combination, a float, a landing skid pivoted oneach side of the rear tip of said fioat and having their paths ofmovement entirely Without the contour of said fioat, and yieldable meansconnecting the upper arms of said skids across the top of said float.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature.

ROBERT P. LEWIS. Witnesses:

E. E. FREED,

WM. P. PASCO.

